Criterion D asks you to think critically about geographical issues: weigh perspectives, evaluate evidence and reach a defensible judgement about a place or decision.
You explore an idea from more than one angle.
Evidence from several sources is combined into a clear, backed-up claim.
You judge origin, purpose, values and limitations, not just what a source says.
You explain why different people see it differently and what follows.
A little of the criterion is addressed. Ideas are basic, partly missing, or not linked to the task.
The main points are there but thin. Some explanations are correct; links to the task or evidence are incomplete.
Mostly accurate, well explained and consistently tied to the task, with only small gaps.
Detailed, precise and justified throughout, with ideas connected and applied to new situations or evidence.
A plain-language guide only. Your teacher marks against the official IB level descriptors.
Evaluate whether a new dam is a good solution for a region short of electricity.
A dam makes electricity but moves people. It depends.
A dam can supply low-carbon electricity to industry and homes, according to the government report (Source 1). The same report was written by the agency that proposed the dam, so I treat its figures cautiously. Villagers’ interviews (Source 2) show the loss of farmland and homes that the reservoir would cause. On balance, the dam is justified only if resettled families receive fair land and compensation, because the benefits go mainly to cities while the costs fall on rural communities.
Criterion D is Thinking critically. It is marked out of 8 across 4 strands (D.i, D.ii, D.iii, D.iv). Criterion D asks you to think critically about geographical issues: weigh perspectives, evaluate evidence and reach a defensible judgement about a place or decision.
Identify who gains and who loses from a decision, such as a dam, a new airport or a coastal defence. Check the reliability and purpose of each source, especially statistics from interested parties. Use evidence from more than one scale: local, national and global.
Listing pros and cons with no overall judgement. Assuming official statistics are neutral. Ignoring the voices of the people most affected.
Written by CritABCD for study and revision, in our own words. The official MYP Geography guide and assessment criteria are published by the International Baccalaureate. Official IB guide ↗